In the dense forest of Mangar, Aravalis in Haryana, about 150 trees have been felled. The localities are relating it to a smuggling of heavy wooden beam. The most affected area is Mangar Bani.

Sunil Harsana, former village committee
member has analyzed the whole area and has taken GPS reading where
uprooted trees have been found over the last four-five days. He
said,''I have got readings of at least 150 trees were only stumps are
left now. I am not sure if the locals are doing this.'' Whereas area
divisional officer Bhoop Singh Yadav has given his denial to such a
report.

In
Focus

Villagers allegedly complained to the
forest department but no action had been taken at the right time.
Harsana claimed that the series of felling tree is continuously going
on and government is not taking corrective actions to protect Mangar
Bani forest.

This Mangar land is largely under
the real estate companies ownership with thick expanse of forested
land. Though it isn't categorized as a forest by its private owners,
but still it has all the features of a forest, such as a thriving
wildlife that includes leopards, jackals and rare birds
species.

Some plans has been proposed in order to protect
Mangar forest but the National Capital Regional Planning Board
(NCRPB) removed an important clause that limited constructions to 0.5
percent in ecologically sensitive zone including Aravalis is
permitted. Recently the Prime Minister's office wrote to Urban
Development Ministry asking them not to approve any of project
without addressing environmental concerns. The Central Public Works
Department (CPWD) and even Arvind Kejriwal during his tenure had also
written to Haryana government regard this.

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